ABSTRACT
For complex clinical cases where a parasitic infection is suspected, it can be difficult for clinicians to recommend an appropriate laboratory test. These tests are usually pathogen-specific and require a certain degree of suspicion for the precise etiology. A recently described assay, the universal parasite diagnostic (UPDx) can potentially provide a diagnosis of any parasite present in a specimen. Using primers that amplify DNA from all eukaryotes, UPDx differentiates several parasitic infections in blood by amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the 18S rDNA locus. As the state's public health reference laboratory, the Parasitology Laboratory at the Wadsworth Center (Albany, NY) receives specimens from patients who have potentially encountered a wide variety of parasites. As such, the ability to differentiate several blood parasites using a single assay is of interest. We assessed UPDx for its ability to confirm parasitic infections for 20 specimens that were previously identified by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). This included specimens positive for Babesia microti, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania tropica, various Plasmodium species, and specimens comprising mixed Plasmodium sp. infections. Results obtained using UPDx were largely concordant with the RT-PCR assays. A T. cruzi positive specimen was negative by UPDx and for two mixed Plasmodium sp. infections only one species was detected. The results obtained for other specimens were concordant. We conclude that UPDx shows promise for the detection of blood parasites in diagnostic laboratories. As NGS becomes cheaper, assays like UPDx will become increasingly amenable to use in clinical settings.
Subject(s)
Blood-Borne Infections/diagnosis , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/standards , Laboratories , Molecular Diagnostic Techniques/standards , Parasitic Diseases/blood , Parasitic Diseases/diagnosis , Public Health , Blood-Borne Infections/parasitology , High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing/methods , Humans , Molecular Diagnostic Techniques/methods , Parasitic Diseases/classification , Parasitic Diseases/parasitology , RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics , United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We conducted a Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) carriage study among men who have sex with men (MSM) to explore possible sexual transmission. METHODS: We paired information on patient characteristics with oropharyngeal, rectal, and urethral Nm culture results to assess associations with Nm carriage among 706 MSM at New York City sexual health clinics. The Nm isolates were characterized by whole genome sequencing. RESULTS: Twenty-three percent (163 of 706) of MSM were Nm carriers. Oropharyngeal carriage was 22.6% (159 of 703), rectal 0.9% (6 of 695), and urethral 0.4% (3 of 696). Oropharyngeal carriage was associated with the following recent (past 30 days) exposures: 3 or more men kissed (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-1.86), performing oral sex (aRR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.04-3.18), and antibiotic use (aRR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.19-0.57). Sixteen clonal complexes were identified; 27% belonged to invasive lineages. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that oral sex and the number of recent kissing partners contribute to Nm carriage in MSM.
Subject(s)
Neisseria meningitidis , Sexual Health , Sexual and Gender Minorities , Homosexuality, Male , Humans , Male , Neisseria meningitidis/genetics , New York City/epidemiology , Sexual BehaviorABSTRACT
We characterized a case of neonatal conjunctivitis in New York, USA, caused by Neisseria meningitidis by using whole-genome sequencing. The case was a rare occurrence, and the isolate obtained belonged to an emerging clade (N. meningitidis US nongroupable urethritis) associated with an increase in cases of urethritis since 2015.
